Campaign plans of Lunsford, Beshear mirror out-of-state candidates

FRANKFORT — Campaign material published by two Democratic candidates for governor closely mirrors that of two gubernatorial candidates in other states.

Portions of a “Blueprint for Change” mailed to 200,000 Kentuckians last week by the gubernatorial campaign of Bruce Lunsford are worded similarly to the 2006 platform of unsuccessful Florida Democratic nominee for governor Jim Davis.

Also, the language in an energy plan pushed by Steve Beshear resembles that of Chet Culver, a Democrat elected governor of Iowa last year.

Both the Lunsford and Beshear campaigns acknowledged yesterday that they had used language pulled from the Web sites of the out-of-state campaigns, but said it was not plagiarism.

“We just took some stock language from it and applied it to Kentucky,” said Adam Bozzi, press secretary for Lunsford.

Beshear’s campaign manager, Jim Cauley, said the campaign saw Culver’s plan for energy online “and we liked it.”

“A good idea is a good idea,” he said.

Bozzi noted that a major part of the 23-page Lunsford plan involves providing health care coverage for all Kentuckians. “The Davis plan did not address that,” Bozzi said.

The Lunsford plan does use language that is similar to Davis’ on a number of other issues.

For example, a position paper on Davis’ Web site lays out this plan for Florida’s children: “The first years of a child’s learning are vitally important and provide the foundation for academic success. As governor, Davis will invest in a quality Pre-K program and expand early childhood education learning opportunities ... Investing in quality Pre-K and early learning opportunities is an important component of improving outcomes in K-12 education.”

The Lunsford-Stumbo blueprint says: “The first years of a child’s learning are vitally important and provide the foundation for academic success. That means we must give every child in Kentucky the opportunity to attend pre-kindergarten ... Investing in quality Pre-K and early learning opportunities is a vital component of improving outcomes in K-12 education.”

Portions of the energy policies of Beshear and Culver also match closely.

For example, Culver’s plan says: “As Governor, I will challenge the private sector and encourage the development of new power sources, fuels and clean coal technologies by developing new laws and regulations that encourage innovation and the production and sale of home grown fuels.”

The Beshear plan states: “As Governor, I will challenge the private sector and encourage the development of new renewable power sources, alternative fuels and clean coal technologies by developing new laws and regulations that spur innovation and the production and sale of home grown fuels.”

In explaining the similar wording in Lunsford’s “Blueprint for Change,” Bozzi said Tait Sye, Lunsford’s communications director, was on Davis’ campaign staff last year.

“Tait was one of the primary people who wrote the Lunsford-Stumbo blueprint,” Bozzi said. “We looked at ideas throughout the country. Jim Davis had a lot of good ideas and we wanted to emulate them.”

Bozzi also noted that Lunsford has often stated on the campaign trail that 16 other states have a Children’s Kitchen Cabinet to focus on improving the lives of children and families. That idea also was in the Davis plan.

“We don’t have to come up with all new ideas,” Bozzi said. “We have to come up with ideas that we think Kentucky needs and Bruce Lunsford has the ability to make them work in Kentucky.”

Lunsford, a Louisville businessman, and Beshear, a Lexington lawyer and former lieutenant governor, are two of seven candidates in the May 22 Democratic primary election.

- Jack Brammer and John Stamper

Comments

This story fails to mention that bluegrassreport.org is responsible for breaking this incredible story...at least the Lundsford part. Way to go Nicholas!

I suggest if you're going to go after some candidates for lifting ideas from other candidates and "plagiarizing" policy proposals that you take a look at *all* the candidates. You might be surprised who all lifts their platforms from other sources.

7:29, if you have examples please give them. Not asking to be antagonistic, just saying it would be nice to find out if some of those taking the moral high ground already on this are guilty as well. Some candidates are jumping on it already and *if* they are guilty it would be nice to point it out.

Note I'm disappointed to find this out about Behear's campaign which negates my giddiness over Lunsford.

adopting good ideas is one thing -- and you give credit where it's due -- but you don't lift the exact words and not give credit at all! That is plagiarism 101.

Remember Joe Biden in 1988 campaign?

I hate to be the first to point out the obvious, but campaigns often use ideas from others. I have read the "Blueprint" and feel like if they try to accomplish half of what is in there, Kentucky will be a much better place!

First off, you can't quite call it plagiarizing if Mr. Sye wrote both.

I am 110% on board with Lunsford/Stumbo and the only reason this has become an issue is because the Blueprint for Change has become so popular. What other campaign has EVER sent out so much information to the public about what they plan to do for the state?

NEWSFLASH!!!! Candidates get information from other campaigns!!!

Get real. I would think they were a bunch of incompetant idiots if they didn't look at what worked for other states.

Let find some real news, please.

taking good ideas from other campaigns is one thing. but copying another plan, WORD FOR WORD, is another thing entirely. these candidates must really think the people of Kentucky are STUPID. or the candidates/staff are too LAZY to do anything original.

Lifted?

Tait Sye wrote both.

How is that lifted?

The same guy wrote them both. That's why they're the same.

See this is exactly why you should elect Miller Genuine.

Miller is Harvard educated unlike these other incompetent Hillbillies. Miller can write his own material. When will this state ever learn and elect somebody who is brilliant enough to lead and write.

8:22 -- You may not want to throw stones.

Who cares if Lunsford saw a great plan and wanted to implement it for Kentucky so that we may enjoy some of the great benefits the Blueprint promises.

Looks as if the Democrats are going to tear each other to pieces in this primary while Brother Ernie Fletcher just shines his light on to re-election in November.

This Blueprint is a great plan that would have been good for Florida. Kentucky will be better off once Gov. Lunsford puts the Blueprint is in place.

Tait Sye for Governor!!

[NKY Pride]

Miller-Lite for Governor!!!

Tait Sye for Pulitzer!!!

8:22 is really mocking Miller, trying to get all of us to think his supporters are arrogant jerks. He is no Miller supporter.

As someone else posted on several blogs a week or so ago, KY-specific parts of "Lunsford's" blueprint are plagiarized, too.

The "Unbridled Pork" graphic on page 21 is literally stolen from a BIPPS publication. I can't believe the MSM never picked up on that blog story.

On page 20, no source is identified for the coal mining graphic. Who did Lunsford steal that from?

The caption for page 6's graphic cites the U.S. Census Bureau as its source. But the the warped text shows that someone else created the coded map and intended to credit the Census Bureau for the data used. Lunsford just copied and pasted it, trying to pass it off as his own intellectual property.

Miller's policy papers also include ideas proposed or implemented in other states. The difference is, Miller gives credit to those who came up with the model plans. He does not pretend that every good idea is his own genius.

[Steve Magruder (I, not D or R)]

Apparently, with Lunsford's millions, he can't even buy some originality.

Folks, it's being reported now (via BluegrassReport.org and Ashland Daily Independent) that Lunsford said that he and Stumbo sat down and wrote the Blueprint!!!!

It's one thing to use others' ideas, and it's another to plagiarize them, and it's yet another thing to actually say you sat down and drafted the thing yourself.

Does Lunsford even know what's in his blueprint?????

9:04 yeah since we all know that Miller supporters are anything but smug arrogant liberal-elitist jerks ha ha ha

You guys hear that?

This little lite of mine im gonna let it shine!

Shine on Kentucky into November!

With Stumbo Lunsfraud out of the way there is nothing to stop it! YESSSSSSS!!!

[realdemocrat]

Lunsford is a fraud, liar, and a supporter of senior citizen abuse.

I don't have a problem with sharing good ideas. In fact, I think we need more of that. I do have a problem with taking credit where it isn't due. To the commenter at 9:11, or anyone else with knowledge -- Can you point me to where Miller actually has given credit to others for any(or better yet, virtually *all* of) his policy ideas? After googling phrases from some of his key proposals, I stumbled onto the source of most of his ideas. They can be found throughout the website of the DLC. I also found portions of his energy plan, **including some arguably plagiarized language** in a UK research paper on green energy. What I didn't find was anywhere in any of his press releases, commercials, campaign plans, or interviews any mention that the ideas came from someone else. I also didn't see a citation for that UK paper anywhere in his energy proposal. Maybe I missed it, and if I did, then I apologize in advance. I'm beginning to the think the better question of the candidates would be, not what ideas have you taken from someone else, but what ideas have you actually come up with yourself? If we're going to decide the origin of the idea doesn't matter for Miller, then we should take that approach with all the other candidates too. Keep in mind, there was some direct copying by Miller from that UK paper, so it's not just an issue of exact word for word copying anymore.

[Paul Simon]

Get on the bus,Gus, Pick up the key,Lee, Make a new plan, Stan, and set yourself free.

[NKY Pride]

Miller plagiarized? no no no! Miller can do no wrong!!!

Take that back those are fighting words!!

Lunsford is fraud and you know it!

This is all the proof we needed!

[Chirs "Freddie" Lynn]

While we are on the topic of currupt politicians...

http://bluegrassbulletin.blogspot.com/

This is a link to a blog that has exposed a corrupt Pike County official.

[LexLawyer]

Oops, NKY Pride, you forgot to log out of your account. On BGR you pretend to be an extreme left-wing, elitist Miller supporter and write derogatory comments about "greasy hillbillies."

Lunsfraud BUSTED! Beshear BUSTED! HAHAHAHAHA

9:48, here's info from less than 10 minutes spent scanning www.miller-maze.com.

"What if our farmers could be the premier producers of what Governor Bredesen in Tennessee is promoting as "Grassoline" – cellulosic ethanol produced from something as simple as switchgrass?"

"The University of Kentucky is doing some remarkable work, too. UK researchers are finding ways to produce ethanol – not just from corn but from cardboard and lawn clippings as well as the fine coal and sawdust."

"One example can be found at the University of Kentucky's Center for Applied Energy Research, which is working on green energy using coal that currently never makes it to the marketplace."

"Utah has a creative program that solicits the assistance of hair-care professionals in identifying victims of domestic abuse who might be too frightened to come forward. The Cut it Out program provides domestic-abuse training for salon students and professionals. The curriculum teaches how to recognize domestic abuse and how to safely refer potential abuse victims to the authorities."

"One successful approach is the Domestic Violence and Mental Health Policy Initiative (DVMHPI), a Chicago-based project designed to address the unmet mental-health needs of domestic violence survivors and their children."

"Joining a coalition of communities and local governments across the country, Jonathan Miller and Irv Maze propose an early learning initiative based upon United Way's Success by Six program for every Kentucky child."

"Already in place in Massachusetts, Illinois, and Pennsylvania companies that invest in urban areas are finding a large, diverse, willing, easily accessible workforce. In Massachusetts, City Fresh Foods uses urban diversity to provide ethnic cuisine to retirement communities across the state. Companies based in Kentucky that are seeking translators can more readily pool from local communities where native speakers live, and by providing training help them to learn English and become integrated parts of the community. Most importantly individuals with low skill sets can benefit from area businesses that teach a trade, Chicago-based American Designs has become an economic boom to surrounding areas producing custom cabinetry."

"For example, Baltimore has done a good job of marketing specific run-down properties as eligible for historic rehabilitation tax credits."

"Kentucky must also create strong mezzanine loans for mid-sized Kentucky businesses such as the Texas Mezzanine Fund (TMF).The TMF achieves economic impact for Texas businesses and citizens with three primary loan products."

"We will also promote the retirement homes and vacation communities to bring money into our state from its most scenic areas, while preserving them as much as possible for future generations. Owensboro and Somerset are great examples of this type of policy in action, and can produce replicable results throughout the state."

"The Miller-Maze Administration would look toward the nation's most successful initiatives, like the Council on Smaller Enterprises (COSE) in Cleveland, Ohio."

"The Miller-Maze Administration will look for innovation considering leading plans like the Covering All Kids Health Insurance Act in neighboring Illinois."

"The Miller-Maze Administration will use the model now working in Georgia, where the private sector has donated significant resources to assist the Georgia Cancer Coalition and its programs to operate economically and efficiently."

"The Miller-Maze Administration will take up Secretary of State Trey Grayson's task force proposal for a 60-day pre-election report and expand it to 90 days."

[Rick Johnson]

This is a non-issue and it has no legs.

You wish!

10:27, thank you for pointing out, miller-maze actually CREDIT their sources.

Lunsfraud said he and Scumbo "sat down together and wrote" that so-called blueprint. Hmm...

[Rick Johnson]

The junkies who will know about this either will be already firmly committed, or they won't care. It won't make the radar of the other 90+% of the primary voters.

10:27, Thank you and I will eat my fair portion of humble pie. I have clearly been reading either old or incomplete versions of his campaign ideas. As stupid as it sounds, I looked everywhere except directly on his website, so I deserve to be called out like that. I'm wondering a couple of things now. Does he include those sources of his ideas in his press releases, etc.? All the newspaper articles and blog postings I've seen include only the content of the idea and not the original source. (I'm just wondering if that's Miller's doing or the media's.)
My next question, though - and I am not being sarcastic - is does that mean all the other ideas he presents that he doesn't attribute to others he is taking personal credit for? - signed know-it-all at 9:48

rick johnson hopes voters are still wandering in the dark on election day, so his old-time candidate will have a shot at winning.

Many of Miller's policies and ideas also come from his book The Compassionate Community, which fully gives credits with footnotes and citations for every policy in it . . .

I see Mr. Beshear stole Culver's campaign colors, wonder what else he lifted? Ya know, I never could understand how green & yellow were significant in Kentucky. Ha! Just another fraud.

http://www.chetculver.com/docs/culverplan.pdf

9:43 -

Even Richards beats Fletcher...

Fletcher was booed more than any bad call, bad play or opposing team in Commonwealth Stadium a few years ago. I have never seen a sitting governor so unliked by the majority of the state. That's how he drew a primary challenge.

If Mrs. Northup doesn't knock him out in May any Democrat will this fall no matter how many times you repeat his goofy little song. You can't rip off decent Hymnal music and in reality be an unrepentant sinner. God frowns on such things.

[Rick Johnson]

10:46, If that is a guess at which candidate I am supporting, you are way off. I assume you support Jonathan. I have known and supported Jonathan for 8 years. All I was doing was making an observation about the general lack of interest in this type of issue, and I stand by that prediction.

1) Anybody who is from Eastern KY and supports Miller is an idiot.

After the ban on mountain top removal Eastern KY will be an economic waste land. Coal is all they have right now. Maybe a few more years they can use coal profits to fuel a change of direction in their economy but not now.

2)Fletcher if fletcher is so disliked why is he beating Northup in the polls and why did he win the straw poll? I wouldn't count him out just yet. These democrats are going to kill each other in the primary while Fletcher keeps positive. Fletcher will be your next Governor. There is nobody to stop him.

[NKY Pride]

I didn't forget and leave my name on silly billy

I just found out about this fabulous blogoshere and just had to share my pro-Miller postings on here with these fine folk!

Posting on bluegrassreport.com is fine but we need to spread our message to these more moderate/conservatives to educate them about what we wish to accomplish once Miller is in office.

I wish for an open Kentucky where me and my brethren can roam free like the salmon of Capistrano with no fear of persecution. Equal marriage rights for all!

GO! Miller-Time!!

[aaron]

If the Democrats don't stop trying to destroy each other we are going to have a very weakened nominee. This inter party squable must stop. I support Lunsford/Stumbo but I do not believe that any candidate should be attacked for wanting to make Kentucky a better state to live in. Whether it is Lunsford, Richards, Miller, or Beshear there are good decent people that support them and who want to see Kentucky a better state. Lunsford plan is the best, I feel at least and I don't see any problem with him using Democratic ideas to make our state better. Same to any of the other candidates.

[Forks of Elkhorn]

The Salmon of Capistrano. That was in a Jim Carrey film.

Knowing that NKY Pride/NKY Defender/et al is someone or something other than what it claims, it should be noted that 25% of the people who voted on the Marriage Amendment in 2004 voted the way NKY Pride probably would have if he was indeed interested in himself and his brethren. 25% in a seven person race, sticking together, could make a real difference.

Aaron,

It's intra-party.

[Steve Magruder (I, not D or R)]

Yeah, aaron, we shouldn't be going around trying to "destroy" a candidate who has no integrity. We need to allow voters to make their choices without knowledge of who the candidates are. Yeah, that would be fantastic for democracy.

Meanwhile, Thomas Jefferson is turning over in his grave.

[OUTSIDER]

aaron:

Is that you? NKY-PRIDE??? Looks like you are trying to get the Miller-Maze camp to say bad things about gays! We will not go there!

This is 2007!!! NOT 1957 the year most of the candidates were in their prime.

[Kingfish]

10:46PM is right to ask, does Miller take credit for all of his policy statements that he does not specifically give attribution? Get ready for the shoe to drop and then let's see of the H-L gives Miller the same prominent headlines and equal space for his mea culpas.

The H-L story seems very unbalanced to me. Lunsford had been trumpeting his original ideas that he and Stumbo came up with together. On the other hand, Beshear never really said he didn't borrow some ideas that he may have thought were good ideas. Also, it seems Beshear may have copied just one item while Lunsford copied basically his whole platform.
This "on the one hand, on the other hand" coverage (and the headline) makes it seem Lunsford and Beshear did the same thing and I just don't think that is the case. Is this just sloppy journalism or is the H-L afraid of Lunsford and thus bending over backward to try to make it seem his campaign's reprehensible behavior and dishonesty is not in a league of its own?

I think Stamper and Brammer has some explaining to do.

They sourced their info from the Lunsford campaign!

The Lunsford campaign supplied Stamper and Brammer the information about Beshear and now it seems Miller may have done the same thing.

I bet anything Stamper and Brammer will not go after Miller. I feel sorry for those two when they come up for review! What a joke!!!